


Who Does Kris Pick?

by Fanfan_la



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baby!Fic, Canon Compliant, Crack, Fluff, Growl Era, Kris!centric, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 02:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6684904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanfan_la/pseuds/Fanfan_la
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kris becomes a 6-year-old a day before his birthday, Minseok is a glorified babysitter-slash-mother, baby pandas might die if the rules aren't followed, water wars between dancers are a thing, and Kris might just lose his limbs by the end of the day. But first, he just wants his sweets.</p><p>Just another typical day in the EXO household.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who Does Kris Pick?

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from [AFF](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1040430/who-does-kris-pick-baekho-kris-kaisoo-krisyeol-xiuhan-taohun-chenxing).
> 
> Translation in [Turkish](https://www.wattpad.com/story/102060921-who-does-kris-pick-oneshot) on Wattpad by [sekaihun9094](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/549566).

"Umma! Up!" Kris demanded, hands raised in the air. The shirt he was wearing (belonging to Kyungsoo) although small, still drowned his surprisingly tiny frame, making him seem even tinier than he really was, even though he was the average height of a 6-year-old.  
  
Minseok furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head. "For the last time, Kris- I mean, Jiaheng, I'm not your Umma." Kris' lower lip trembled at the other man's words, eyes slowly filling with tears as Minseok panicked and quickly lifted the small boy into his arms, sighing in relief as the child stopped tearing up and instead decided to hang onto the elder's neck.  
  
"You know, I was sure it was either going to be Kyungsoo-hyung or Junmyeon-hyung who would be called Umma by Kris-hyung," Sehun commented from his seat, earning glares from said members. "Still, it's cute how he clings to you, Minseok-hyung."  
  
Minseok sat down on biggest couch, in-between Chanyeol (who was in the middle) and Kyungsoo, both of whom immediately cooed when Kris looked at them and gave a gummy smile. Even the rest of EXO, who were scattered across the room variously, either sitting in a seat or on the floor, melted at the cute sight. "It's only because I found him like this first," Minseok explained, smiling softly despite himself as Kris wiggled in the elder's lap and burrowed his face into the join of the male's neck to blow a raspberry. "And it seems like he's regressed to his 6-year-old self with no memories of us or his family, but still knows how to speak Korean."  
  
"Huh. What do you think happened to turn him like this? And when do you think hyung will turn back?" Baekhyun asked absentmindedly as he let Kris play with his outstretched hand, the child tracing pictures on his palm with his fingers.  
  
"I heard it was a birthday thing," Junmyeon said from the floor, glancing up at the small child. "Some of the other groups were telling me about how one of their members would suddenly turn into a child overnight on the day before their birthday. But, turning back varied from member to member, so who knows when he'll become our tall Chinese Canadian again." He shrugged.  
  
"Well, I hope he never turns back," Tao declared from his place next to Chanyeol (and with Sehun on his other side), earning incredulous looks. "What? Gege is the cutest baby I have ever seen! And it's certainly a nice change from his stern looks and lame attempts at being a serious leader. I mean, I'd rather keep him like this and raise him ourselves."  
  
"Who will buy your Gucci then, Tao?" Kyungsoo pointed out.  
  
"Junmyeon-hyung," Tao said instantly, getting a long-suffering groan from said man and snorts from the rest.  
  
"He's right though," Luhan piped up from his place at Minseok's feet, having shifted himself there after the eldest sat down. "He's the cutest, little poophead I've even seen." He turned to Minseok and placed his hand on the elder's knee, stroking it teasingly. "Can he be our baby, Baozi?"  
  
"What? No!" Minseok scoffed at his boyfriend. "He's just mine! Isn't that right, Jia?" Kris nodded enthusiastically, even though he was unaware of what was just asked.   
  
Suddenly, Jongdae plucked the child out of Minseok's lap. "Nope!" He said, sitting back beside Yixing in the love seat. "He's mine and Xing's now." The Chinese dancer nodded his head, letting a giddy Kris poke at his dimple.  
  
"Nah, I think maybe me and Soo-hyung will keep him," Jongin said, walking over (from his place on the floor next Junmyeon) to take Kris into his arms, before plopping himself in his boyfriend's lap. Kris squeaked as he bounced in Jongin's lap and compared Kyungsoo's small hand to his tiny ones.  
  
Then Chanyeol suddenly reached out and pulled Kris out of Jongin's grasp, making the child focus his rapidly changing attention on the male's ears. "I don't think so; he's staying with me. He's my boyfriend, after all," he said, wincing slightly when Kris reached out shyly and pulled too hard on his ear. "Besides, he can play with my baby too."  
  
Chanyeol whined as Kris was taken from him while the child was still tugging on the taller male's ear, this time by Tao. "You mean your wooden hunk of a guitar, Chanyeol-hyung. At least I have a real baby; my cute, fluffy Candy," Tao corrected as he mentioned his spoiled Maltese dog back in China, ignoring the sulky comment made by Jongin, saying he had 'babies' too. "And stop stealing my gege. No one cares that he's your boyfriend." He placed Kris in Sehun's lap as he ruffled the child's dirty blonde hair. The Korean maknae cooed at the child before realising he was in public vicinity, and settled for a calmer expression while internal screaming 'kyeopta!' every time Kris even so much as breathed, before the child disappeared from his sight.  
  
"Haha no," Baekhyun interjected, having lifted the small child out of Sehun's lap and placed him in-between him and Junmyeon on the floor, earning a dirty look from the maknae. "I think me and Money-hyung would be better! He would buy all the things while I provided all the delicious banter!"   
  
Junmyeon gave an incredulous look at the nickname his boyfriend had created for him, and asked, "Don't you mean delicious food?"  
  
"I mean what I say, Money-hyung," Baekhyun answered calmly, despite Junmyeon's squawk of "but how is Kris supposed to eat banter?!"  
  
Minseok only shook his head in exasperation as he took Kris back into his arms, the child still a bundle of energy despite being passed from member to member like a pass-the-parcel game. "How about we let Kris decide? And we only get one chance to persuade him, so use your turn wisely." The eleven members turned their eyes onto the tallest-turn-smallest member of the group, who only blinked at them, before tilting his head and making a face because the others were just staring at him.  
  
When no one moved for a few moments, Minseok lifted Kris and placed him a few metres away from the rest of the group before returning to his original spot and speaking. "Jia, who do you want to stay with tonight?" He held his hands out encouragingly. "You'd want to stay with Umma, right?"   
  
"And me!" Luhan butted in and linked his hand with Minseok's, the latter only sighing in fond exasperation and allowed it.  
  
Kris nodded immediately and started walking towards the eldest members. "Umma and creepy uncle!"  
  
Luhan spluttered at Kris' choice of words. "Creepy uncle?! What- I'm not- That's not- Ugh- It shouldn't be that-!" He crossed his arms and sulked while the rest of the members laughed at Luhan's misfortune.  
  
"How about me and Uncle Xing instead?" Jongdae asked quickly, while Kris was distracted. "We can protect you from the monsters at night."  
  
Jongin grunted in amusement. "Kris-hyung isn't scared of mon-"  
  
"You will?" Kris interrupted, eyes wide in awe, suddenly aware of other options apart from his 'Umma.' "Even the ones under the bed?" He asked, the only one not hearing Jongin's disbelieving, "He's scared of bed monsters?!"   
  
"We can sing a pretty lullaby that will scare away the monsters and help you sleep," Yixing added kindly, dimple showing through with his gentle smile.  
  
"Uhh..." Kris hummed, looking at Minseok and Luhan, and then back Jongdae and Yixing. The self-proclaimed dancing machine and his actual, dimpled dancer boyfriend held their hands out encouragingly, making the child take a small step towards them.   
  
"But Jiaheng, you'll miss out on all the fun with me and Uncle Soo," Jongin said, interrupting Kris' small steps. The child sent a questioning look at the tanned dancer, prompting him to continue. "I have my poodles and Uncle Soo can bake you muffins for dessert. You like muffins, right?"  
  
Kris bobbed his head up and down earnestly. "I like muffins! But if I go with you, can I play with the doggies now?" Kris asked, making grabby hands, the thought of cute animals making him bubbly on the inside. He snuggled his raised fists close to his face in an adorable manner.  
  
"Uh..." Jongin hesitated, not realising that Kris would want the dogs straight away. "They're not here right now but I can bring them tomorrow-"  
  
"But I want my doggies now," Kris whined, the promise of fluffy playmates being broken making him frown. He stamped his foot, expecting them to appear out of thin air. "Give me!"  
  
Before Kris could start a full-out tantrum, Tao crawled over and draped Kris' mislaid Milky Way towel over the child's shoulders, making the child go silent in confusion as the Chinese maknae tied a loose knot so that it looked like a long cloak that draped to the floor. The male leaned back to look at his work, nodding his approval. "There. Who needs toy poodles when you're Superman?"  
  
"Really?" Kris' eyes sparkled as he completely forgot about the dogs he wanted to play with and the tantrum he was about to start, too happy for being complimented on looking like a superhero. "I am?"  
  
Sehun bobbed his head, pulling Tao back to his spot next to him. "Mm-hm. You look like the better and more awesome version of him." He wiggled an eyebrow. "We could play superheroes with you if you want."  
  
Kris cheered loudly, putting his hands on his hips. "That means I can learn how to fly!" He said excitedly, flapping the ends of the towel wildly. "Oh wait!" He ran out the room, and swiftly returned with a lacy thing strapped to his head like a headband.  
  
Every EXO member gawked at the proud-looking boy as he entered the room again.  
  
"Where... did you get that?" Jongdae asked first, asking the question everyone else was wondering.  
  
"In Elf Man's room," Kris responded innocently, adjusting the two padded bits so they were symmetrical on his head. With such an obvious nickname, every member glared at Chanyeol, who shrank back a little in fear.  
  
"Jia, sweetie, that's a bra," Minseok said slowly.  
  
"I know!" Kris replied cheerily. "Doesn't it look extra awesome? It's totally my style!"  
  
The members narrowed their eyes further, making Chanyeol pout. "It's my sister's, okay?" He said defensively. "She must have put it in my bag accidentally last time I visited; it's not my fault!" He looked at Kris and tried to get the child's attention, trying to redeem himself. "Hey Jia, how about you stay with me? I can take you to all the cool clubs tonight," he said, his grin widening when Kris looked interested. An abrupt slap to his head made Chanyeol yelp loudly, making Kris howl with laughter as the tallest kneeled down, whimpering in pain.   
  
Junmyeon looked rather happy with himself, hand still raised from the hit. "Park Chanyeol, what is wrong with you?" He scolded the younger, earning a sheepish grin from the other. "You don't bring innocent children to _clubs,_ " he said, looking appropriately offended by the mere suggestion, even though Chanyeol tried to explain that he meant _musical performance_ clubs. The Korean leader then turned to his Chinese counterpart, his stern expression melting into a more angelic one. "Guess what, Jia; I can buy any toy you want tomorrow, while Beagle-hyung can play princes and princesses with you, if you stay in our room tonight," he bribed, hoping Kris would be a lot more forgiving with his wallet than Tao was. But this was _Kris,_ so maybe he shouldn't get his hopes too high.  
  
Baekhyun rolled his eyes at the 'Beagle-hyung' but grinned, instead opting to leave a bruising pinch on boyfriend's thigh. "Yeah. I can be your damsel in distress if you really want," he said, flicking back his non-existent long hair dramatically. Kris looked at the oldest beagle male and then back at the Money-hyung.  
  
"Any toy?" Kris repeated excitedly. "And play princes and princesses?" Junmyeon nodded, rubbing his sore thigh. "Okay! I want a new family for Ace, and I get to be the dragon! Money-hyung can be the prince instead! Rawr!" Kris cried out, making his way towards them with his cute legs.  
  
"No way!" Chanyeol stood up abruptly, startling Kris and the rest of EXO. The tall male picked the child up mid-run, slowly untangled the towel, and pulled the bra off the child's head. Then Chanyeol hugged him to his chest, unwilling to let go. "He's my hyung! I want him to stay with me!"  
  
Baekhyun made a face and stood up take the child out of Chanyeol's grip, a small noise leaving the child's lips as he was pulled away. "In your dreams," he scoffed at his best friend as he wrapped his arms around the small blonde. "He's sleeping with me and Junmyeon-hyung."  
  
"Um, maybe you shouldn't-" Junmyeon started to say, only to ignored by the two loudmouths as they started to argue.  
  
"But Kris-hyung is my roommate and _my_ boyfriend!" Chanyeol whined, gripping Kris' arm as Baekhyun held onto the child by wrapping his arms around the dangling child's waist. "I have rights!"  
  
"And nobody cares! Kris said he wanted to come with me! So suck it, Park!" Baekhyun yelled triumphantly.  
  
"Actually, he agreed to me and Xing as well, you know," Jongdae butted in, moving so that he was sat nearer the arguing pair.   
  
"And me and Sehun," Tao added. "So stop manhandling my gege and hand him over to me." He stood from his spot and tugged the baby leader out of Baekhyun's grip, only for the other to grab onto the child's legs, with Chanyeol still holding onto Kris' arm.  
  
Junmyeon made a face as he noticed the uncomfortable look on Kris' face. "I really think that you should stop-"  
  
"Let go of him!" Tao groaned, tightly holding onto Kris by hooking his arms under the child's armpits as he attempt to pull the boy out of Chanyeol and Baekhyun's hands. The other two held on stubbornly, followed by shouts from the other members.   
  
"It's my turn!"  
  
"No, Kris-ge want to stay with me!"  
  
"Guys, seriously, Kris isn't looking too happy-"  
  
"Maybe you should let go-"  
  
"Kris-hyung is mine!"  
  
"That doesn't mean crap, Park Chanyeol!"  
  
"Guys-!"  
  
"Jiaheng wants to stay with me, right, Jia?"  
  
"No, he agreed to _us,_ you useless paperclip!"  
  
"You're the first bread slice!"  
  
"For your information, I eat that first slice, so you take that back you- you- flat butt!"  
  
"Pfft, I have the perfect butt! Is that the best you can come up with?!"  
  
"Both of you suck. I'm taking Kris-ge and that's that!"  
  
"I will ruin your Gucci bag and turn them into shredded confetti pieces before stuffing them into your pillow, I swear to god, Huang Zitao!"  
  
"You wouldn't dare, you eyeliner-addicted bit-"  
  
"Everybody SHUT UP!"  
  
Every EXO member froze in shock and blinked at the usually quiet Baozi, whose chest was heaving in exertion.   
  
"Look what you've done," Minseok huffed angrily, stomping over and taking a wailing Kris into his arms, letting the child cling pitifully to his neck.   
  
While the three diva-like members had been arguing incessantly, they'd been pulling on the body of the small Chinese leader in opposite directions, painfully. Even after struggling, Kris couldn't escape the three, and resorted to crying in frustration and because of achy limbs.   
  
"Because of your dumbass argument, you didn't even see that Jia was crying." The eldest hyung shushed the child, softly stroking Kris' hair in a soothing manner.  
  
"Jia! Jia we're so sorry! Please forgive us!" The three males stumbled over to the crying child, but Minseok held up his hand for them to stop.  
  
"Do you accept their apology, Jia?" Minseok asked softly. Kris nodded, sniffling and looking up at the guilty-looking members.  
  
The three members sighed in relief, but that quickly became disappointment when Minseok spoke again. "Now, Kris may have forgiven you three, but I'm taking him with me, and that's final," Minseok said firmly, not letting any of the other members speak. "And Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Tao? You are banned from interacting with him until tomorrow morning."  
  
The three mentioned complained loudly, but Minseok simply shut them up with a hard glare. "No buts." He turned to Kyungsoo and asked, "Soo, since you and Junmyeon are the most responsible, could you make us dinner please? Oh, and Jongdae, you too, I suppose." The three nodded quickly, eager to not make Minseok any angrier.  
  
An angry Minseok was a scary Minseok - yes, scarier than Kyungsoo. Luckily for them, Minseok very rarely got temperamental, unlike their residential Satansoo.  
  
"Luhan and Sehun, you're going to watch these three," the eldest said, pointing at the three, sulky members who had allocated themselves to the couch. "Jongin and Yixing," he said, looking at the last two members. "You're going to help me give Kris a bath." Both Jongin and Yixing smiled happily, glad to be with their baby Duizhang.   
  
Luhan frowned while Sehun only sighed at his bitter fate. "Why can't I help bathe Duizhang?" Luhan grumbled, crossing his arms and clearly not liking the idea.  
  
Minseok raised an eyebrow. "You'd drown him without even realising," he responded as he patted Kris' back gently, the sniffles dying down to little hiccups.  
  
"Why are you so mean to me, Baozi?" Luhan pouted as the trio left the room. "You're my wifey!"  
  
"It's called tough love, husband!" Minseok's amused voice echoed as they walked up the stairs. The eldest could almost hear the thunder cloud Luhan was sporting over his head as soon as he said those words, and chuckled to himself.  
  
"He loves you really," the rest of the members said to the gloomy Luhan.  
  
xXx  
  
"And... Got you!" Jongin cried out triumphantly, sat at the end of the tub, where there was a little space.   
  
Minseok had left the tanned dancer alone with Kris while he had to run some quick errands, and Yixing had to grab some towels for them to use on Kris once he had finished. Suffice to say, leaving Jongin - a 6-year-old at heart when he wasn't in his Kai persona - with an actual 6-year-old was probably not the best way to go, as the two were currently engaged in a water fight with water-filled rubber ducks (belonging to Sehun, something the maknae wanted no one outside the dorm to know).  
  
Jongin squeezed his duck, squirting Kris' chest as the child sat in the filled tub. Kris squealed in laughter as he squeezed his duck too, hitting Jongin right in the face. It made the male splutter as water got in his mouth, getting another giggle from the baby Chinese leader.   
  
Jongin gave a mock glare, raising his duck again. "Oh, you're in for it, Jia!"  
  
Just as he was about to spray Kris again, two hands grabbed Jongin's shoulder, making the tanned male turn and yell in shock before squeezing the duck, emptying the water all over a white shirt.  
  
"Guh, cold," Yixing said, wrapping his arms around his middle as the water soaked through his shirt and made contact with his skin.  
  
Jongin gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, hyung. You kind of scared me."  
  
"It's fine, Jongin." Yixing waved it off calmly, only for a suddenly evil grin to appear on his face as he moved closer to where Kris was. "But, it's only fair if I get to do... This!"  
  
Jongin gasped as a wave of water slapped him in the face, drenching his shirt completely and the crotch area of his jeans. "Hyung!"  
  
Yixing only smiled sweetly, giving Kris a wet high-five as the child kept laughing. "All's fair in love and war for Jia's heart, Jongin."  
  
Jongin grinned as he shook off some of the excess water. "Oh, you're on, hyung." He dug his hands in the tub like Yixing had, aiming for the elder before the other could react. "Water battle; commence!"  
  
Yixing shouted as the lukewarm water hit his face, and threw water at Jongin again, getting a fast retaliation as the ammunition hit is target again. The back and forth attacks continued to hit the barely-dodging dancers, leading to sopping rugs and a slippery floor as the two waged war on each other with the loud shouts from Kris as encouragement.  
  
It ended with Yixing and Jongin ready to have one last face off with the rubber ducks, both soaked to the bone and dripping all over the wet tiles of the bathroom. Kris was barely sitting in half a tub full of water, but he didn't seem to mind as he cheered equally for the two dancers.   
  
"Hey, hyung," Jongin said, his eyes never leaving Yixing's duck-ammoed hand. "Who ever wins this gets to shampoo and wash Kris' hair while the loser cleans up this mess. Deal?"  
  
"Agreed," Yixing said, a determined look in his eye. "Prepare to lose, Kim Jongin."  
  
"Not in this lifetime, Zhang Yixing," Jongin responded cheekily.  
  
The two narrowed their eyes at each other and waited for the other to make the first move, when-  
  
"Would someone to explain why it looks like two grown adults have had more of a bath than Jia himself?"   
  
Minseok stood at the door, arms crossed with a typical 'disapproving Umma' look on his face. Both Yixing and Jongin wanted to laugh but held it back.  
  
"We wanted to have a bath too...?" Jongin said weakly, ending his sentence more like a question than an actual answer.   
  
Minseok snorted at the mess the two had created. Sometimes, he wondered if he was just a glorified babysitter, not an idol from a popular boy group and a top company. "Well, since you two so _eagerly_ wanted to have a bath and look finished, why don't you both clean up the floor while I wash Jia?"  
  
Both males pouted in reluctance, but obeyed as they dropped the ducks and trudged off to get changed before grabbing some mops. They snatched a towel on their way out with Jongin nearly slipping up on his feet as he left last.  
  
Minseok grinned at Kris as he toed his dry socks off first before making his way across the wet floor carefully. "Say, Jia. Why don't we make your uncles' job harder with a little more water?" Kris gave an equally big grin as he wriggled, sending some water over the edge and onto the floor.  
  
If Jongin and Yixing had noticed when they came back that there was more water on the floor than when they had left, and that the Minseok and Kris were smiling widely, they didn't say anything and just sighed as they began to mop.  
  
xXx  
  
"I can't believe Minseok-hyung banned me from my own boyfriend!" Chanyeol whined dramatically, flopping on the couch with a loud thump. The trio who were bathing Kris were gone for only 20 minutes, but to the others, it felt like forever.   
  
"I can't believe you didn't realise Kris-hyung was crying because you were trying to tear his arm off," Baekhyun shot back, still feeling rather sassy despite the scolding from his responsible boyfriend after Minseok, Jongin and Yixing left to bathe Kris.  
  
Chanyeol lifted his head and stuck his tongue out at his best friend. "You didn't realise either, you ditzy bimbo."  
  
"Please, I'm better looking than any frivolous young woman," Baekhyun sniffed. "And, may I also remind you that your boyfriend is currently a 6-year-old, making you, my friend, a paedophile."  
  
Chanyeol rolled his eyes. "I would never touch Kris like that, weirdo. I like his lean, adult body, not a baby that I could almost sit on and squash." He scrunched up his face. "You can't even say anything, since you want Kris to sleep with you too. Which, by the way, I won't allow."  
  
Baekhyun was about to retort, but Sehun cut him off. "Seriously, Baekhyun-hyung, Chanyeol-hyung, shut up before Minseok-hyung hears you arguing again," he said, caressing Tao's hair, who had his head in his younger boyfriend's lap.  
  
"You just want us to shut up so Minseok-hyung thinks you're being responsible, brat," Baekhyun snorted.  
  
"Exactly," Sehun said, unperturbed. "Then I can play with Kris-hyung in your face when you two can't," he continued smugly. Baekhyun threw the maknae the middle finger, which was just ignored by the other.  
  
Across from Chanyeol sat Luhan, who was cross-legged and rocking his head side to side in boredom. "When is Baozi coming back with Kris?" He whined, throwing his arm on the armrest carelessly and leaning against it.  
  
"Soon, I hope," Tao said, voice slightly muffled by Sehun's thigh. "Maybe I can weasel my way out of his ban with my best aegyo."  
  
Chanyeol snorted. "As if Minseok-hyung will fall for your buuing buuing. Nobody falls for that crap, except Kris-hyung, sadly."  
  
Tao wiggled his eyebrows and beamed widely. "Exactly."  
  
Baekhyun's eyes glimmered at Tao's words. "Oh, you sneaky maknae!" He exclaimed, smirking at the Chinese male, who grinned back.  
  
Chanyeol gasped, scandalised by Tao's devious plan. "I forbid you to seduce my boyfriend with your ugly face."  
  
"Bitch, my face is not ugly," Tao retorted.  
  
Chanyeol cackled loudly. "Say that to the body mirror you cracked the other day just by glancing at it-" He swiftly ducked as Tao sat up and threw a heavy pillow towards him before the Chinese maknae huffed in annoyance as he slumped back into Sehun's lap, calming as the latter ran his lithe fingers through his hair.   
  
A damp Jongin with a towel around his neck waltzed in only a minute later, carrying a freshly bathed Kris wrapped in a furry bathrobe and shorts, his head just peeking above the collar. Yixing followed by Jongin's side and was also damp, occupied by playing a silly counting game with Kris' hands. The other members turned their attention immediately to the loveable baby leader, Luhan instantly making his way over to hold the child in his arms.   
  
Minseok entered the room next, sending a raised eyebrow at Tao, who was trying to get a reluctant Luhan to pass Kris over to him. "What did I say earlier, Tao?" He took Kris from Luhan's hold, with Kris automatically wrapping his arms around his neck.  
  
Tao stuck his lip out. "But hyung... I'm just trying to apologise to Kris properly."  
  
Minseok shook his head, immune to Tao's cuteness. "Sorry, Tao. You don't get to interact with him until tomorrow morning."  
  
Tao's pout grew stronger, before he looked at Kris, commencing his fool-proof plan. "Jiaheng forgave me already and wants me to play with him, right Jia?" He brought his clenched fists in front of his cheeks, moving them down in a rocking motion and tilting his head, as he said, "Buuing buuing!"  
  
Kris squealed, reaching forward to grab at Tao. "Cute peach panda!" Minseok only managed an exasperated sigh as he let go of the ban silently (because he could never stay mad for long), and complied to Kris' movements before the child could struggle out of his grip, leaving the child giggling as he latched onto Tao's hand and jiggled him, asking for more.  
  
"Even as a kid, he _still_ falls for Tao's silly aegyo," Minseok said, shaking his head fondly. Kris just squealed as Tao continued to do his aegyo for him, screwing his face up and laughing along with the child. He let Tao hold the squirming child as he removed the bathrobe and pulled a shirt over Kris' head before speaking again. "Come on, sweetie. Eat first, play later." He patted Kris' head, earning a sunny smile.  
  
The Chinese maknae gently put Kris down so he could walk on his own, who then reached out to hold Chanyeol's hand (much to the tall rapper's delight) instead as they made their way towards the dining area next door to the kitchen where Kyungsoo, Junmyeon and Jongdae had finished cooking dinner, the other members following behind.  
  
xXx  
  
Minseok sat in the middle with Kris on his lap as Chanyeol and Luhan sat on either side of the eldest. Jongin, Kyungsoo, Junmyeon and Baekhyun sat on Luhan's side, while Jongdae, Yixing, Sehun and Tao sat on Chanyeol's.   
  
Entering and sitting down was a quiet affair, up until the main dish was served; chicken and rice.  
  
Everyone hungrily grabbed a few scoops of rice and several pieces of fried chicken for themselves, but as soon as Minseok's sharing plate was set down in front of Kris, he glared the food like it was an offensive piece of gum stuck on his new shoes. "What is that?" He scrunched up his nose, looking like a certain red, angry bird.  
  
"Chicken and rice, Jia," Minseok answered. He noticed in particular what Kris was focusing on. "Don't you like chicken?" He put a scooped a bit of chicken and rice on his spoon and tried to feed the boy. "Here, try some."  
  
"No! I hate it!" Kris screeched and violently batted the spoon away before pushing the plate and making it fall off the table, shattering to pieces with food ending up all over the floor. The spoon flew out of Minseok's hand and clattered as it landed near the mess.  
  
Everyone froze - some still halfway through eating - and held their breaths as Kris panted from his fit of anger, unaware of Minseok's shocked and displeased face.  
  
"Li Jiaheng, why did you push the plate onto the floor?" Minseok demanded sternly, turning the child around on his lap so Kris could see him properly.  
  
Kris' mouth trembled when he saw Minseok's unhappy expression. "Because... Because I don't like it," he said quietly.  
  
"Does that mean you can break things or waste food that you don't like?" Minseok asked, watching Kris' tantrum fading quickly at his scolding. "Hm?"  
  
"No..." Kris responded, mouth beginning to form a frown.  
  
"What do you say to your Uncle Dae, Uncle Soo, and Uncle Jun for wasting the food they made especially for you?" Minseok continued.  
  
Kris looked at the ground before he turned towards the three chefs in embarrassment. "...Jia is sorry." He fiddled with his shirt, not looking happy at being told off, but being sincere in his apology.  
  
Junmyeon nodded along with Jongdae and Kyungsoo, the latter slowly getting up to swiftly clear the mess up on the floor.   
  
"Apology accepted, Jia. Don't do it again," Junmyeon replied, realising what Minseok was doing in reprimanding the baby leader. If Kris was going to stay as a child for an unknown amount of time - even for as short as a day - they couldn't let him have whatever he wanted unconditionally or let him throw tantrums for not getting what he wanted, otherwise he would become more difficult to deal with.  
  
"And?" Minseok pressed.  
  
Kris looked at the remaining members, eyes beginning to grow wet. "Jia is sorry for interrupting uncles' meals. Promise I won't do it again." He gasped suddenly, pressing his hands against his eyes. The other members looked at Minseok worriedly, confused to see the tears in their baby leader's eyes.  
  
Minseok's own hard expression melted completely, pulling the upset child closer so Kris could cuddle into his shirt. "Sweetie, why are you crying?"  
  
"Because Umma is mad," Kris blubbered softly into his chest.  
  
"Umma is not mad. Umma is disappointed because you shouldn't do that if you don't like your food. And you shouldn't push my hand away either. That hurt me, Jiaheng," Minseok said gently. "Instead, you should tell Umma nicely, and I will give you something else, okay?"   
  
Kris sniffled. "Sorry for making you sad, Umma."  
  
"It's okay, Jia." The eldest EXO member wiped the remaining tears away with a clean tissue, looking at Kris meaningfully as the surrounding members began to quietly eat again. "Now, sweetie, why don't you like chicken? Do you not like the taste?"  
  
Kris shook his head, turning to briefly narrow his eyes at the fried chicken legs again, as if trying to burn them to crisp. "It's because they used to be little baby chickens and now they're fried pieces of meat on a plate!" He wailed, burying his face into Minseok’s shirt. "They used to be my fluffy friends and now you're eating them!"  
  
All the currently eating members of EXO froze again as they heard Kris' words, dropping their unfinished chicken pieces on their plate. Even Jongin - the ever-devout fried chicken worshipper - choked a bit and tossed his meatless chicken bones in the kitchen bin like the others when they heard Kris' mournful words.  
  
When the EXO members returned to their seats at the dining table with their empty plates, they gave relieved sighs as they spied Minseok placing some heated, leftover pasta from the day before in the centre of the table, enough to feed the eleven grown members of EXO and their growing EXO member.  
  
As Kris finally ate something and the members began dinner again, Junmyeon made a passing comment. "Maybe we shouldn't cook chicken for a while."  
  
Kris nodded in vehement agreement as Jongin groaned pitifully.  
  
xXx  
  
Once dinner had ended, Minseok reluctantly entrusted Kris with Kyungsoo, Luhan, Jongdae, and Baekhyun in their shared practice room while the others returned to their own rooms, late-night training not halted despite the strange situation at hand. Sehun, Jongin and Yixing were all in their dance studio to work on their group dance performance, while the remaining vocalists and rappers were practising their separate group vocal performance.   
  
"Let's go over 'Miracles Of December' again," Kyungsoo said as he leaned against the mirror wall with Kris sitting on his lap, who was previously clambering all over the K-vocalist during the Chinese run-through of the aforementioned song. "But the Korean version this time."  
  
The two who had to practise again sighed but nodded along, while Luhan grinned in glee and skipped over to Kyungsoo, taking the male's place. Kris laid down in Luhan's lap when Kyungsoo moved him, curling up and playing with Luhan's loose shirt as the three Koreans began singing.   
  
As the two watched the singing trio, Kris' face formed a small questioning look, prompting Luhan to speak. "What is it, Jia?"  
  
"How come your hair is different to mine?" Kris asked, reaching out to grasp at Luhan's blonde locks, the pink having faded out a week ago. "It's yellowy like mine but lighter."  
  
"Well, my hair didn't use to be blonde, just like you," Luhan answered. He reached for his phone and quickly pulled up a picture of himself before EXO debuted. "See?"  
  
Kris made a noise of wonder and awe as he stared at the photo and then at Luhan, as if not believing they were the same person. "Appa looks better with dark hair," he said after a while, looking up at Luhan.  
  
Luhan blinked in surprise. "A-appa?"  
  
Kris nodded innocently. "Umma told me that you were a couple when he was washing my hair. That means you aren't Uncle, but Appa instead."  
  
Luhan made a noise akin to a strangled groan and cuddled the baby leader to his chest. "Why can't you be like this all the time? But your cuteness is killing me." He whined and hugged Kris closer, earning a squeak from the child. "This must be a punishment for calling you an angry bird every time you get upset." Kris just let the older man continue to squash him, confused by Luhan's strange ramblings.  
  
"Luhan-hyung, let go of Kris before you cuddle him to death," Jongdae jokingly said. "What were you doing anyway, hyung?" He asked as the trio walked over to the duo on the floor and sat down beside them in a circle.  
  
"He called me Appa, Jongdae!" Luhan exclaimed, earning surprised looks from the others. "Oh, and we were looking at photos of our old hair." Luhan let go of Kris reluctantly and explained as the child swiped at his phone screen.  
  
"Oh, look at this one!" Baekhyun said, pointing at Luhan's red hair from the Wolf era. "That was quite cool, Luhan-hyung." Luhan puffed his chest proudly at Baekhyun's words. "Kyungsoo's hair was pretty nice too."  
  
"You had that really nice plum colour around that time too, right, Baek?" Jongdae asked. "We had so many colour changes around that time, I swear."  
  
Baekhyun nodded as Kyungsoo swiped the screen a few times before landing on another picture. "Ooh, this one," Kyungsoo said. It was a fan-taken picture of Minseok with ginger hair and Luhan with red hair. "Minseok-hyung looks like a kindergarten kid here."  
  
"Umma's pretty with ginger hair," Kris commented, smiling.   
  
"Definitely," Luhan agreed, grinning at the perfect couple photo of himself and Minseok.  
  
They continued looking at Luhan's abundance of photos, selfies or otherwise (and luckily no NSFW photos, or rather, Luhan-Not-Safe-From-Kyungsoo's-Wrath-If-Otherwise photos), until they came across another one that caught their interest.   
  
"Oh wow, Kyungsoo," Jongdae said, while Baekhyun made the sound of an exaggerated wolf-whistle. "Damn. That's some photo." The picture in particular was of the vocalist in a red jacket and a black-collared shirt, with Jongin to the side, faded in the background. It was simple and plain, but he looked ridiculously gorgeous just sitting there. "Who the hell were you trying to seduce through the camera, huh?" He asked, getting a shove from the younger in question.  
  
Kris, on the other hand, gaped openly, eyes sparkling. "Uncle Soo is so pretty!" He squealed, reaching out to grip Kyungsoo's hand, while the latter just laughed at Kris' excitement.  
  
"Thanks, Jia," Kyungsoo said kindly, petting the child's hair fondly. "Whoever took that photo and edited it did a great job." He then raised an eyebrow at Luhan. "Although, hyung, why do you even have that photo?"  
  
Luhan shrugged. "It was a really good photo of you. And well, I do tend to save photos of you guys from the Internet whenever it's a good one, so."  
  
"Basically, you fanboy over us," Baekhyun explained in laymen's terms. Luhan blushed, but didn't deny it.  
  
"Ooh! I like this!" Kris cried out as he swiped the screen while everyone was distracted by Luhan's flushed face, making the others crane their neck to see what Kris was excited about.  
  
Baekhyun promptly erupted into laughter as his eyes caught sight of Sehun's rainbow-coloured hairstyle from the Wolf era. "Oh my god!" He snorted, nearly choking on his own chuckles. "I remember that!"  
  
"Remember when Xing was drugged up on pain medicine and mistakenly thought Sehun was a lollipop once? And then we had to tie him up to a chair to stop him from eating Sehun. I think that was the first time I'd ever seen our maknae cry in fear," Jongdae said as he sniggered. Baekhyun started tearing up from laughing too much, while Kyungsoo was trying hard not to crack but his mouth twitched every time Baekhyun made a noise. Luhan just hid his laughter behind his hand as Kris kept looking at Sehun's picture.  
  
"I want Sehun-hyung's hair," Kris said suddenly, cutting off the quartet's laugh-fest.  
  
"You what?" Baekhyun blinked.  
  
"Sehun-hyung's hair is pretty," Kris said, eyes glimmering in admiration. "Can I have rainbow hair?" He turned his eyes towards the four members with a pleading look, before looking at Luhan. "Appa?"  
  
"Er..." Luhan uttered, unsure how to say no without triggering another tantrum. Seeing Kris' eyes turn to him made him lose his resolve, and he opened his mouth.  
  
"Well, I think Jiaheng looks so much better with his blonde hair," Kyungsoo interrupted before Luhan could agree to Kris' request. "Right, guys?"  
  
"Yeah, of course," the other three agreed quickly.  
  
"But- but Sehun-hyung's pretty hair-" Kris whined, not giving in. "I want it!"  
  
A figurative light bulb appeared above Jongdae's head, and he intervened before Kris could start pouting further. "But Jia, didn't you know that dyeing your hair is scary?" Jongdae said, putting on his best confused look.  
  
"Huh?" Kris tilted his head.  
  
"When someone's hair is dyed, it has to be done properly otherwise something bad happens," Jongdae explained, lowering his voice. Next to him, Baekhyun made a noise which sounded a lot like disbelief, and Kyungsoo nudged the older in the rib to shut him up.  
  
"What do you have to do?" Kris asked curiously.  
  
"Well, firstly, it has to be the exact amount of dye - no more, no less. Then, you have to do a certain dance ritual - which only a few people know - around the person while holding the dye formula so that it's shaken properly. Afterwards, the dye has to be applied in less than 30 minutes or else the dye fumes will be released into the air. Then, it has to be left in for exactly 35 minutes and washed in 15 minutes or the remaining fumes will not be trapped, and instead released too." Jongdae gave a lengthy explanation without stuttering, much to the other members' surprise. They had no idea how Jongdae had managed to come up with such a convincing and tangible lie that even a gullible adult could easily believe.  
  
"What happens if you don't do it properly?" The child whispered, completely engrossed with every word that Jongdae said.  
  
"Well, the fumes released will kill a baby panda closest to where you are, if you don't strictly follow the rules of dyeing hair," Jongdae answered with a straight face.  
  
Kris gasped in horror, his face scrunching up adorably. "No! Baby pandas aren't allowed to die!"  
  
Jongdae nodded sympathetically and patted Kris' head. "It's even worse if it's multiple colours like the rainbow one. That's why it's better not to dye your hair unless it's an expert doing it; and experts are very rare. Even then, they could go wrong too." He then smiled. "But don't worry, I'm sure it won't be a problem for you; only a few pandas die if it's a multi-coloured hairstyle."  
  
Kris shook his head violently as he rejected the idea. "No no no! I won't dye my hair! I don't want baby pandas to die for me!" He clung to Luhan's arm, staring up at the elder's hair. "Did many baby pandas die for you, Appa?" He asked sadly. "Did they die for me?"  
  
Luhan shook his head, still in mild shock that Kris believed Jongdae's lie. "No, of course not. An expert did yours and each hair colour for me, and made sure a baby panda definitely did not die every time."  
  
Kris sagged in Luhan's lap in relief. "That's good." He pawed at Luhan's hair, still sad about not being able to dye his hair, but wanting the pandas to be safe.  
  
Kyungsoo took a quick look at the time as the conversation ended. "Oh look, it's the end of practice. Let's go and meet the others. Junmyeon-hyung is probably going to set us some tasks to do later."  
  
The others nodded along, following the Korean vocalist as they exited the practice room, leaving behind the topic of their conversation for another time.  
  
xXx  
  
"Did you have fun watching your uncles practicing, Jia?" Junmyeon asked. He had just finished assigning the present members their chores, when the four vocalists and the child arrived last in the sitting room.  
  
Kris made a soft noise as a yes. "And Appa showed me pictures of your old hairstyles," he said, pointing at Luhan, who gave a proud look.  
  
"Appa?!" Repeated the members who had only just become aware of the new development, expressions of disbelief crossing their faces.  
  
Minseok sighed but leaned into Luhan's embrace as he went over. "I suppose it makes sense," Minseok said. The Chinese vocalist simply tightened his hold around Minseok's waist as the elder spoke. The other members shook their heads as Luhan's clinginess showed itself again, but left it alone, if only to prevent him from whining in denial.  
  
"Anyway, speaking of hairstyles; Luhan-hyung, you need to re-do your hair pink again," Junmyeon said as he picked up a pink box behind him. "Unfortunately, our stylist is sick, but she sent over a box of temporary hair dye, so one of us can do it for you. Probably Yixing."  
  
The four vocalists who were with Kris a few minutes ago all paled, realising where the conversation was heading.  
  
"Um, hyung, that's probably not a good idea-" Baekhyun began to say, only to be cut off by his leader and boyfriend.  
  
"It's fine, Baek. Yixing is a beginner but I'm sure he won't make any huge mistakes on Luhan-hyung's hair," Junmyeon replied cheerily. "Right, Yixing?" Yixing nodded and grabbed the hair dye box, gesturing for Luhan to follow him.  
  
Luhan looked at the three near him, and then at Kris, before moving forward to follow.  
  
"NO!" Kris yelled abruptly before running towards someone. Much to everyone's utter confusion, Kris jumped onto Tao - of all people - and gripped the Chinese maknae's jeans. "You're not a-allowed to! Uncle Jongdae said s-so!" He cried, before breaking out into distressed tears. "Don't kill my p-panda!"  
  
The members stood still, before Junmyeon uttered a word. "What-" The room only followed into an explosion of massive discord, the majority of the members rushing over to comfort a hysterical Kris, while a certain Satansoo dragged the joker of the bunch to the side.  
  
Kyungsoo slapped Jongdae's arm, earning a groan of pain from the latter. "This is all your fault, genius." He sent a pitying look in Kris' direction, before narrowing a glare at the other. "If you hadn't lied and said all of that stuff, Kris wouldn't be in tears. Again."  
  
"It was great lie, until _someone_ brought up the hair-dyeing business," Jongdae said defensively.  
  
"What lie was it, exactly?" Junmyeon asked, overhearing the other conversation and walking over. Only Minseok, Luhan, and Tao - who Kris was desperately clinging to, even when Tao hauled him into his arms - were actually able to gently calm the child, so the rest of the members joined the two vocalists with their leader.  
  
"Kris wanted to dye his hair like Sehun's stupid rainbow one back during Wolf, and we couldn't find a way to say no without a good reason, so Jongdae came up with a lie about it. Basically, he said dyeing your hair would kill a baby panda if done wrong," Kyungsoo explained, hushed so that Kris couldn't hear.  
  
"Oh," Sehun said. "That doesn't explain why Kris started crying all over my boyfriend though."  
  
"Tao's a panda, remember?" Yixing responded, referring to the nickname the members and the fans gave to the Chinese male.  
  
The group to the side glanced at the trio with Kris, before looking at each other when Tao made a funny face at Kris, emphasising his dark circles and making the child hiccup-laugh while crying. _'Yeah, that's true,'_ they all thought.  
  
"What should we do?" Chanyeol whispered loudly, pouting when he saw his baby hyung still sobbing, unable to comfort him from the distance.  
  
"Hm... I think Sehun and Tao should take Kris outside for a bit to calm down a bit," Junmyeon decided after a pause. "I was going to send a pair out to grab some groceries for me anyway, but this works out well." Junmyeon turned to the maknae and handed him a pre-made shopping list and his black credit card. "Just stay outside for two hours minimum, okay? We need to dye Luhan-hyung's hair today as we don't have much time afterwards to do it."  
  
Sehun nodded in understanding, calling out to his boyfriend to grab a jacket for Kris, as they were going out. "Don't worry, I'll inform Tao of everything," Sehun said as he left with Tao and Kris in tow.  
  
The other glanced around at a loss when the maknae couple and Kris left the dorm 15 minutes later, the door clicking shut behind them.   
  
Junmyeon clapped his hands, grabbing his members' attention. "Well? What are you standing around for? Get to work, guys." The lazy members groaned, suddenly remembering how much they had to do.   
  
Junmyeon could be such a slave driver sometimes.  
  
xXx  
  
"Jiaheng, could you hold my hand instead, please?" Tao asked tenderly, shifting his tired arms as he carried the child.   
  
A disguised Sehun and Tao had walked to the 24-hour supermarket, which was 15 minutes away, with Kris in Tao's arms. Kris had refused to be parted from the male, although he had stopped crying, and wrapped his arms around Tao's neck before resting his head on his shoulder. When they had reached the store, Kris still wouldn't let go, even rejecting the idea of sitting in the big trolley while Tao pushed it. Instead, it led to Sehun pushing the trolley and slowly grabbing the items on his list while they trailed behind as Tao whispered words of comfort.  
  
"I won't disappear, I promise," Tao said understandingly, after Sehun had texted the details of the situation to him. The younger would have just directly told Tao, but Kris was not willing to part with the panda-like male.  
  
"Promise?" Kris mumbled hesitantly, holding out his pinkie finger after a while.  
  
"Promise," Tao replied firmly, wrapping his own pinkie finger around Kris' and sealing the deal. Then, Tao gently lowered Kris onto his own two feet, the child quickly latching onto Tao's free hand with both of his tiny ones. The hood covering Kris' face fell forward to block his view, earning a noisy complaint from the child as he pushed it back a little.  
  
"I'll never be able to get over how small Kris-hyung looks as a child," Sehun commented, smiling in the duo's direction as he stopped to pick up the products he needed.  
  
"Yeah..." Tao hummed in agreement, swinging his arms with Kris, elating a giggle from the child.  
  
Their walk around the supermarket lapsed into a comfortable silence, before Sehun spoke. "Jia, want to sit in the trolley now?" He asked, noticing that the child's legs were getting tired.  
  
Kris scrunched his face up, looking worried, and glanced up at Tao. The male in question only nodded his head, picking Kris up to deposit him in the trolley seat, which faced the trolley-pusher.  
  
"Mhmm!" Kris whined, reaching out for Tao's hand again. "Panda-hyung!"  
  
"I'll push the trolley, Jia. Don't worry," Tao chuckled as he took over from Sehun. Kris placed his hand over Tao's as they continued to shop, the couple noticing that the child had calmed down considerably, much to their relief.   
  
"Jia, do you want this?" Sehun asked, dangling a bag of sweets in his hand. Kris' eyes brightened dramatically as he nodded enthusiastically, earning a chuckle from Tao. "Okay, but you can't tell your Umma or Uncle Junmyeon. It'll be our little secret," Sehun said, winking.  
  
"Can I tell Appa?" Kris asked as he received the sweets in his eager grasp.  
  
"Sure," Sehun agreed, because then if they did get caught giving sugar to a hyperactive child, there would be one less scolding, as Minseok would be too busy lecturing Luhan for keeping it a secret. Tao just gave a knowing smile, already aware of Sehun's plan.  
  
They continued walking some more, and only a few minutes later in, did they see that Kris was getting tired again. "Well, we have everything Junmyeon-ge wanted us to get," Tao said as he scanned the list in Sehun's hand. "So we can pay now."  
  
They made their way to the pay register, emptying their trolley onto the conveyer belt as a young female cashier (probably a student) scanned their items and the other female employee packed their bags. As they dumped all the items on the belt, Sehun dropped one of the cans by accident, landing on his foot.  
  
"Shoot," he murmured, picking up the can and placing it on the belt last.  
  
"That will be ₩89,250, please," the cashier said monotonously as she finished scanning, not looking up. "Will that be cash or card- oh my god."  
  
Sehun grabbed his wallet to take out Junmyeon's card, only to see the cashier gaping at him like a fish. He blinked in confusion, turning to Tao, who looked mildly horrified.  
  
"Uh, Hunnie, your hood came off," Tao whispered into the younger ear. He swiftly hauled Kris into his arms as the couple both knew what was coming next.  
  
"Oh my god, you're Sehun-oppa!" The employee packing their bags cried, attracting several pairs of eyes.  
  
Oh dear.  
  
A sudden rush of teenage girls and a few males came over, shouting excitedly.  
  
"Sehun-oppa! Please sign my shirt!"  
  
"I love you, Sehun-oppa!"  
  
"Sehun-hyung is the best!"  
  
Under the loud shouts, Sehun grimaced internally but smiled politely at the (thankfully) small crowd, trying to pay for his things as he wondered why on earth these teenagers were out so late on a weekday.  
  
"Taozi, get Jia out of here," Sehun hissed as he obligingly borrowed a fan's pen and signed their shirts, trying to distract the crowd so that Tao could get Kris out of there, as they were not paying much attention to the two hooded figures with Sehun.  
  
Tao tried to make his way through the small crowd with Kris in one arm and one of the plastic bags he had grabbed in the other, but unfortunately, the crowd refused to budge due to their excitement. It made it harder to leave, and it only seemed to make Kris more scared by the amount of people screaming around him.  
  
"Shhh, Jia," Tao murmured softly as Kris whimpered when a screaming fan got too close. "It's okay. You're okay."   
  
As Tao managed to push through the crowd, suddenly, another fan accidentally barged into the hooded duo, causing the Chinese male to groan in pain.   
  
At the sound of Tao's groan, Kris began wailing, his voice piercing through the chatter of the screaming fans.  
  
The crowd fell into a confused hush as they heard a young child crying and saw Sehun pushing his way through to reach the hooded figures, gathering the small body into his arms and bouncing the child gently.  
  
"Don't cry, Jia," Sehun said soothingly, ignoring the whispers around him. "You're okay, you're okay." Sehun continued to comfort the child, letting Kris hug himself to his chest to hide his face.  
  
Seeing that they were not going to get out of there any sooner if they didn't do something, Tao pulled down his hood, gaining the surrounding crowd's attention and stunning them into silence. "I know you guys are very excited right now, but me and Sehun have to return a friend's nephew before he gets very worried. I want to ask that you don't follow us, as the child is feeling very distressed and tired. Thank you very much for supporting us," Tao said quickly and politely as he rubbed Kris' his figure for emphasis, bowing towards the quiet crowd. Much to his surprise and delight, the crowd listened and some very nice fans even handed Tao and Sehun the remaining bags, leaving the older male with three bags, and the maknae with one bag and Kris in the other arm.  
  
As they left the supermarket, Tao smiled at the crowd one last time (because his hands weren't free to move), glad that there were some truly nice fans around although he did guilt-trip them into it. Still, whatever works, worked. At least they managed to get Kris out of there safely.  
  
Tao looked at Sehun and Kris as they finally gained a significant distance away from the supermarket, the child's wails having died down as soon as they left the store. "Jia, are you okay?" Tao asked, confused as to why Kris calmed down so suddenly after they left.  
  
"Mmm," Kris mumbled, nodding into Sehun's chest. "Panda-hyung, you and Rainbow-hyung were so slow, so I had to cry so I could eat my sweets. Can I have them now, please?"  
  
Tao and Sehun made an amused noise, only realising that Kris was quite sneaky for a 6-year-old. "Of course, Jia. You sly, little dragon."  
  
Kris just smiled in response, finally getting the sweets he wanted since Sehun waved them in his face.  
  
xXx  
  
"Got everything?" Junmyeon asked as he opened the door for the couple and Kris. The latter had calmed down completely after eating all the sweets on the way back to the dorms, resulting in a slightly hyper and cheerful child in Sehun's arms.  
  
"Yes, Junmyeon-hyung," Tao replied as the elder led the trio to the kitchen. "Did you manage to dye Luhan-ge's hair?" He asked, out of Sehun and Kris' earshot.   
  
"Yeah," Junmyeon nodded, packing away the groceries with the others. "I don't know how we're going to convince Kris that we haven't killed any pandas though. Well, apart from you, as you're alive and kicking."  
  
"I have an idea, hyung," Tao said. "Don't worry about it."  
  
"You guys done?" Sehun asked, a hand on Kris, who was sitting on the counter, in case he fell.  
  
"Yeah," the other two nodded, and they all left the kitchen, entering the sitting room where the others were lounging around after doing their chores.  
  
"Jia!" The boys shouted happily when the child was spotted, earning a giggle from Kris.  
  
"Jia..." A voice called out, making Kris look towards the speaker.  
  
"Appa?" Kris' eyes widened, and his eyes began to glisten as he noticed Luhan's newly dyed pink hair. "Appa, you dyed your hair... You're not supposed to do that if you don't have an expert! Appa, you're gonna kill my panda-!"  
  
Kris trembled as he felt arms wrap around him, and he looked up, eyes wet with unshed tears. "Panda-hyung..."  
  
Tao shushed Kris gently, getting the child to sit in his lap as he sat on the floor. "Jia... Panda-hyung's still alive, see?" He poked Kris in the arm several times, getting a half-hearted whine from the other. "And no other pandas are dead, because your Appa and Uncle Xing made sure that they did the ritual properly."  
  
"How do you know?" Kris asked, wiping his eyes.  
  
"Because I'm Panda-hyung who likes to take strolls down the beach by myself," Tao said proudly, noticing the eye rolls from his fellow members, which he ignored. "And Panda-hyung is connected to his distant panda cousins."  
  
"Okay," Kris said, looking very relieved. "That's good, Panda-hyung."   
  
Kris smiled, and the members internally thanked Tao for helping them avoid another tearful breakdown from their baby leader.  
  
"So, Xing," Jongdae suddenly spoke, getting a startled look from his boyfriend. "Want to show us the dance you had to do to make sure the dye was done right?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know, the chicken dance," Jongdae said innocently. The remaining beagle line began to snigger as they caught onto Jongdae's plan.  
  
"The chicken- what, no way, Dae!" Yixing denied quickly. He was a very good dancer, but no one - not even the best professional dancer - could put off a variation of the chicken dance gracefully, for the sole reason being that it was supposed to be done badly and look ridiculous in the first place.  
  
"But Xing, Jia needs to make sure you did the dance correctly," Jongdae said, pulling Kris close for effect and dragging out Yixing's name.  
  
"Jia doesn't know what the dance even looks like-" Yixing tried to say, but was met with pleading eyes.  
  
"Uncle Xing, please?" Kris pouted. "So I am really sure. And Uncle Dae can tell me if it's the right dance." He turned to Jongdae, who grinned at Yixing.   
  
"Yep. So you have to do it properly, Xing," Jongdae added, slowly pulling out his phone.  
  
Yixing groaned as every member following whipped out their phone, ready to record his _amazing_ performance.  
  
His boyfriend was _so_ going to get it afterwards.  
  
xXx  
  
"Do you want to help me make some food for tomorrow, Jia?" Junmyeon asked Kris.  
  
The other members were watching the latest episode of a Korean drama they were obsessing over on TV after they had filmed Yixing dancing stiffly, which was very unlike the male. After the embarrassing display, Yixing had dragged Jongdae away, most likely to their shared room, and to do what, Junmyeon didn't really want to know.   
  
"We're going to be too busy tomorrow to make any food."  
  
"Okay!" Kris said excitedly. He jumped up from his seat next to Baekhyun, and took Junmyeon's hand.  
  
Baekhyun followed too, his movement not even making the remaining members flinch because they were so intently watching. "I'll come with."  
  
They made their way to the kitchen, where Junmyeon began grabbing the ingredients from the cupboard with the help of his boyfriend, while Kris watched in interest as the couple moved around. Then, Junmyeon sat Kris on one of the seats facing the island in the middle of the room and set a chopping board in front of the child.  
  
"Okay, Jia. You're going to help Uncle Baek make sandwiches, yeah?" Junmyeon said. He grabbed one of the disposable plastic knives for the butter, and put it on Kris' plate.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Kris asked curiously, turning to face the man.  
  
"I'm going to make some rice and bulgogi for dinner tomorrow, since there won't be much time to make dinner once we get home, either," Junmyeon explained. He pulled out the small bag of uncooked rice from under the cupboard as he spoke.  
  
"Am I coming with Umma, Appa, and uncles too?" Kris asked.  
  
Junmyeon hesitated, unsure of the answer. "I'm not sure," he replied, pouring the rice in the rice cooker pot and pouring water in. "It's going to be a very busy day. If you do, though," he quickly added, seeing Kris' sad look, "You'll be waiting in the car or backstage because we'll be on-stage."  
  
"Ahh," Kris nodded in understanding, going back to making the sandwiches with Baekhyun, who was unusually quiet.  
  
"Baek, are you alright?" Junmyeon prodded his boyfriend gently, after he finished setting up the rice cooker and had pulled out the marinated bulgogi from the fridge.  
  
"Yeah, just tired," Baekhyun said, yawning into his hand, before continuing with his work.   
  
"Why don't you go back and sit with the others?" Junmyeon suggested, pressing a soft kiss on the back of Baekhyun's neck. Kris giggled when he saw the movement, and misplaced the ham he was holding, putting it on the table instead of on the buttered bread.  
  
Baekhyun grinned and picked up the ham slice, eating it instead and placing another ham slice on the bread for Kris. "Nah. I wouldn't want to leave little Jia alone with Money-hyung, now would I?" He teased, earning a playful jab from Junmyeon and another giggle from Kris.  
  
"Money-hyung's making your dinner for tomorrow, so be grateful," Junmyeon shot back. Baekhyun chuckled and kept his mouth shut, going back to his work of making enough sandwiches for twelve.  
  
It continued in relative quietness, until the duo making sandwiches had finished making a mountain size and had packed them into individual foils. Secretively, Baekhyun put a finger against his lips as a sign for Kris, before pointing at an oblivious Junmyeon and wiggling his fingers. Kris covered his mouth to stop the giggles escaping as Baekhyun crept up behind Junmyeon, who sat on a stool as he still waited for the rice to cook after he had finished frying the bulgogi.  
  
With a sudden warrior cry, Baekhyun grabbed Junmyeon's exposed sides and skittered his fingertips across the male's ticklish spots, getting a high-pitched squeal before Junmyeon fell to the floor, Baekhyun following. Pained laughter echoed as the two landed on the floor with Junmyeon beneath Baekhyun, Kris' own giggles loud as he clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Again again again!"  
  
Junmyeon smiled up at the child as he pulled Baekhyun closer with his arms. "I don't think I want to hurt myself again, Jia."  
  
Baekhyun chuckled against Junmyeon's chest. "Neither do I. I definitely wasn't expecting to fall too."  
  
Kris let out a little noise before tilting his head to look at the embracing couple, only really noticing how they were laying on the floor with no intention of getting up. "Is Uncle Jun and Uncle Baek together? Like Umma and Appa?"  
  
Junmyeon and Baekhyun both blinked at Kris' question. "Yeah. Yeah we are," Junmyeon responded, earning an automatic smile from his significant other.  
  
"When can I be a couple with someone?" Kris asked. "I want someone like Umma has Appa!"  
  
Baekhyun snorted into Junmyeon as the other gaped at Kris' question. "I... I think you should wait until you're older, Jia," Junmyeon decided to say.  
  
Kris pouted, but didn't question it any further. Swinging his legs on his chair, he asked," Can I go and play now, Uncle Jun?"  
  
Junmyeon laughed at little Kris' eager expression. "Of course. Run along then, silly."   
  
With that, Kris hopped off the seat, his little legs disappearing round the doorway as he left, probably to join the other members in the sitting room.  
  
"And what about me?" Baekhyun slyly, mouth ghosting near Junmyeon's neck.  
  
"You," Junmyeon breathed against the other male's hair. "You stay here with me."  
  
"Gladly."  
  
xXx  
  
"Nooooooo! Save me, Umma!" Kris yelled as he stormed through the sitting room, hair messy and his pyjamas t-shirt on backwards. Behind him followed the youngest EXO member, chasing after the baby leader playfully.  
  
It had been hours since they began their relaxation time, and (surprisingly) only Sehun had enough energy left to tire out the hyper Chinese kid. Now, the remaining EXO members where all huddled around or on the sitting room couch, but sat in different positions.  
  
"Got you!" Sehun cried triumphantly as he swooped down and lifted Kris into his arms, swinging the little leader into a more comfortable position. Kris giggled again as Sehun's thin fingers tickled his armpits a bit, making him squirm until Sehun changed his position.  
  
As the two settled, they noticed the eyes of the older members, staring at the scene before them. "What?" Sehun asked defensively. Just because he usually had his aloof facade on, didn't mean he was always that distant. Besides, children always brought out the best in him.  
  
"Nothing," Tao responded for the rest of the members, not wanting the bratty side of his boyfriend to come out. He patted his thigh, prompting Sehun to make his way over and place himself in Tao's lap, Kris in his.  
  
"I'm tired," Kris suddenly said aloud, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands. He opened his mouth, letting out a tiny yawn and squinting his eyes. "Umma, I wanna sleep." He reached out for Minseok, clearly very attached to the eldest.  
  
"This is seriously not fair," Chanyeol bemoaned, making an exaggerated face and huffing as he watched Kris climb into Minseok's lap and snuggle into warm arms. "How could my boyfriend like Minseok-hyung more than me? I'm supposed to be his number one!"  
  
"But, he's not your boyfriend as of now," Minseok said. He narrowed his eyes at the youngest of the beagle line. "He better not be, Park Chanyeol."  
  
"Minseok-hyung! Really?" Chanyeol whined. "Why does everyone think I would corrupt my precious hyung at the age that he is now?" He sighed and slumped against Baekhyun (who was on the couch) whilst sitting on the floor, cross-legged. He frowned, looking distantly at the patterned floor. "I know it's only been one day, but I haven't been able to spend time with him alone all day anyway, or even in a group, and... Look, I just really miss my hyung."  
  
Seeing the suddenly drop in Chanyeol's mood, the EXO members exchanged looks with each other, not used to seeing their bright member looking downhearted and very clearly missing the older version of Kris.   
  
Even Kris looked up at Minseok and asked quietly, "Why does Elf Man look sad?"  
  
Luhan, who was sat next his boyfriend, had heard the question and bent closer to Kris to whisper in his ear. "Because he misses his boyfriend. Usually they are stuck together, cuddling on the couch or wrapped up and lying down on it."  
  
"Why don't you comfort Chanyeol for us?" Jongdae leaned in to add, having sat next to Minseok as well. "You remind him a lot of his boyfriend, which is why he wanted you to sleep his room tonight."  
  
Kris blinked up at Minseok, who nodded softly and gently pushed the child towards the unaware member. Kris clambered into Chanyeol's lap, much to the latter's surprise, and pressed his cheek against the taller male's beating heart.  
  
"It's okay, Elf Man," Kris said, smiling contently as he felt Chanyeol wrap his arms securely around his body. "I bet that someone loves and misses you too, so don't be sad, Elf Man. If you want, Jia can stay with you." Kris smiled sweetly up at Chanyeol, making the other tear up a little. "Don't tell Umma, but you're my _favourite_ favourite because your ears are cute and I like you lots, but Appa says you have a boyfriend. Can I be your boyfriend too?"  
  
Chanyeol tightened his embrace around his little hyung. His hyung was still the same, younger or not. "Maybe when you're a little older, Jia. But that means a lot to me because I like you a lot, too," he said, kissing the child's forehead. "And call me Channie, okay? Elf Man makes me feel like a bow-and-arrow guy wearing leggings."  
  
Kris smiled. "Okay, Channie. I can wait!" He giggled as the taller male pressed more ticklish kisses on his face, pushing away Chanyeol's mouth with his hand.  
  
Eventually, Kris' eyes began to flutter, indicating that it was time for him to go to sleep. "Channie?" He asked tiredly.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Sing me a song please?"  
  
Chanyeol pretended to consider Kris's request. "Only if you sing a little bit with me."  
  
Kris tilted his head and bobbed it once. "Okay."  
  
The others moved into a more comfortable position after hearing Kris' assent, eager to listen as well.  
  
"Do you know this?" Chanyeol asked before he began to sing.   
  
_"What would I do without your smart mouth?  
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out  
You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down  
What's going on in that beautiful mind  
I'm on your magical mystery ride  
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright."_  
  
Kris sleepily joined in, his childish voice strangely blending well with Chanyeol's more mature vocals.   
  
_"My head's under water  
But I'm breathing fine  
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind."_  
  
The remaining members of EXO slowly joined in, adding soft harmonies and rocking side to side, enjoying the sudden jam session.  
  
_"'Cause all of me  
Loves all of you  
Love your curves and all your edges  
All your perfect imperfections  
Give your all to me  
I'll give my all to you  
You're my end and my beginning  
Even when I lose I'm winning  
'Cause I give you all of me  
And you give me all of you, oh oh..."_  
  
The voices faded as Kris' eyelids gently shut. He snuggled into Chanyeol's chest as EXO hummed the tune like a soft lullaby, finding the sight of their Chinese leader falling asleep a very precious image.  
  
When they reached the end of the song, their voices faded, a silent agreement made between them as three members got up and grabbed blankets and pillows from their rooms, while Chanyeol cradled a snoozing Kris in his arms as the remaining members shifted the furniture towards the walls for more space. They put the spare mattresses on the spacious floor before gathering into a warm bundle on the floor, members laid down in a circle, each huddling with significant others as Chanyeol laid in the middle, spooning Kris in his arms.  
  
One by one, every member smiled as they heard Kris' tiny breaths, bidding him a silent goodnight as each slowly drifting off into peaceful dreams of a stage full of twelve.  
  
xXx  
  
The early morning light shone through the partially-closed blinds, waking a certain tall, Chinese male from his warm sleep. The blanket covered his body that had grown back to its original size, which inevitably meant his shirt had ripped, and his shorts barely clung on and dug into his thighs.  
  
Groaning, Kris peered his eyelids open to see his surrogate family surrounding him, all still deeply stuck in the wonderful bliss of sleep, and then kissed his boyfriend's cheek, snuggling further into his arms as Chanyeol tightened his hold slightly, murmuring incoherently.  
  
"Thanks for looking after kiddie me, guys. I appreciate it," Kris mumbled as he closed his eyes, even though he knew they couldn't hear him. He would thank them properly later, once they all woke up. "Even if you ended nearly ripping my handsome self apart at one point, and made me cry. A lot. I'll blame you guys if I have horrible eyes bags like Tao. And, I was also going to say that it's my birthday today, so I think it would be a good idea if we-"  
  
"Shut up, Kris! We're sleeping!" Every member grumbled simultaneously.  
  
Looks like they were awake after all.  
  
"Ugh, thanks for the love, guys."  
  
"Just. Go to sleep."  
  
"...Fine."


End file.
